VS Achuthanandan hits out at Kerala CPM secretary Pinarayi

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former Kerala chief minister V S Achuthanandan hit out at the CPM’s state leadership on Saturday saying party secretary Pinarayi Vijayan’s comments “need not necessarily be the opinion of the party”.
The intra-party feud in the CPM in Kerala came to the fore following rebel communist leader T P Chandrasekharan’s murder last week. Pinarayi had called Chandrasekharan a renegade while Achuthanandan backed him openly.
Upset over Chandrasekharan’s murder, VS said he did not subscribe to Pinarayi’s view that the slain leader was a renegade. He said the CPM’s view was also different from Vijayan’s.
He also criticised state secretariat member V V Dakshinamurthy, who had said the state secretary’s statement was the CPM’s line.
Taking on Pinarayi, VS accused him of behaving like S A Dange, who caused a split in the Communist party in 1964 forcing 32 comrades (including VS) to walk out of the meeting. He hinted he is ready to part ways with the CPM but hoped, “the party will correct its mistake”.
Reacting to VS’ comment, Pinarayi said the CPM would examine and take appropriate action. “My appeal to all responsible comrades in Kerala is not to react to the comments till the party takes a final decision,” Vijayan said. Cadres must stay united and resist any attempt to weaken the CPM, he said.
CPM central leadership refused to comment. “We will discuss the issue in the politburo and in the central committee,” said politburo member S Ramachandran Pillai.
The matter could come up in the CC meeting scheduled for June 8 and 9 in Delhi, said a source.